The present invention relates to prenatal testing and treatment, and in particular to prenatal testing and treatment relating to respiratory distress syndrome encountered in newborn premature human infants.
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a condition often suffered in infants delivered prematurely, i.e., before the normal 37 weeks gestation period. Women at risk for premature delivery have been treated with steroids such as betamethasone, dexamethasone or other known glucocorticoids, in order to accelerate fetal lung maturation. However, this therapy has only been partially effective in the prevention of RDS. It is known that fetal adrenal androgens block steroid-stimulated fetal lung maturation. Accordingly, a need exists for detecting the interference by fetal adrenal androgens in the prenatal treatment of babies at risk of premature birth in order to prevent occurrences of RDS.
One of the difficulties with prior art steroid treatment is that there is no method of determining whether the fetus has responded to steroid treatment before birth. There have been reports of antenatal steroid treatment for acceleration of fetal lung maturation and its inhibition of maternal blood estriol. There are also reports that decreasing maternal urinary or blood estriol is indicative of fetal illness. It would be desirable to be able to determine whether the fetus has responded to steroid treatment before birth so that appropriate steps can be taken in the treatment of the mother in the final stages of pregnancy.